A Al Carte

“We are not entitled to a person’s time and attention. More often than not, we must earn the right to be heard.” — Terri Sjodin

Amateur Radio

ARES/RACES Supports Office of Emergency Management during Presidential Debate — ARES/RACES volunteers stepped up to support communication for the Clark County, Nevada, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), during the third US presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 19. Clark County OEM Chief John Steinbeck, asked ARES/RACES to activate and support the County’s Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC). Seven Clark County ARES/RACES members operated UHF and VHF voice as well as VHF packet and mesh VoIP from the MACC as well as from the Clark County IT Department communications van throughout the event. In addition, ARES/RACES members provided back-up monitoring of all event communications.

Boy Scouts Issue Last Call for JOTA 2016 Station Reports — Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, has issued a final call for JOTA 2016 station reports. Information submitted will be compiled into the US JOTA-JOTI (Jamboree on the Internet) report and filed with the World Organization of the Scout Movement for its overall JOTA-JOTI report. Reports are due by November 1.

Two Radio Amateurs among Three Returning ISS Crew Members — Three crew members on the International Space Station (ISS) are set to depart the orbital outpost on Saturday, October 29. Expedition 49 Commander Anatoly Ivanishin and Flight Engineers Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, and Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS, will undock their Soyuz spacecraft at 1237 UTC on Saturday and land in Kazakhstan at 0359 UTC on Sunday.

“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” — Max Lucado

“Never think of yourself as average… You just have to get that word ‘average’ out of your vocabulary.” — Donald Trump

“If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.” — African Proverb

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying .” — Nelson Mandela

Amateur Radio

First amateur radio in geosynchronous orbit will aid disaster communications — Researchers at the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology are preparing to send an amateur radio transponder into a geosynchronous orbit in 2017. “Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a new ham band will be available for the Americas,” said Robert McGwier, a research professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Hume Center’s director of research. “It will allow rapid deployment to disaster areas and support long-haul communications for first responders.”

Philippine Hams Team Up to Confront Back-to-Back Typhoons — Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA) Ham Emergency Radio Operations (HERO) network volunteers were ready for Super Typohoon Haima, which struck the northeastern Philippines on October 19 with winds peaking prior to landfall at more than 180 MPH — a category 5 storm. Roberto Vicencio, DU1VHY, reported that HERO had already activated its net on 7.110 MHz for an earlier category 3 storm, Typhoon Sharika, which hit Luzon Island before moving west and weakening. But the powerful Haima forced thousands of residents to flee. More than a dozen deaths in the Philippines were blamed on the storm.

What did you do to prep this week?— Well, folks, here we are again. We have been blessed with another week to prep before TEOTWAWKI and I hope that everyone has used that time to do something. I see a lot of folks commenting in past segments of this thread saying that they didn’t do anything during the week because they didn’t have any money. Well, you can do a lot without money like learning skills, getting into better physical condition and planning future projects.

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“Just seize every opportunity you have, embrace every experience. Make a mark, for all the right reasons.” — Chrissie Wellington

“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen.” — Benjamin Franklin

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” — African Proverb

Amateur Radio

Top 5 Ham Radio App — If you’re a member of ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, install this app and have QST, the ARRL membership journal, delivered to your Android device every month!QST entertains and informs with news, construction projects, tutorials, and much more. That’s why it is the most widely read Amateur Radio publication in the world.

Could LED Street Lights Drown Out Ham Radio Signals? –– When he decided to become a ham radio operator, Charles Dillenbeck, of Bristol Township, went all out for his new hobby. He purchased the Cadillac of radios — an $8,000 model that allows him to chat for a few hours every night with amateur radio enthusiasts around the world. Five antennae surround his house. Then one night this spring, the static he normally heard on different frequencies became much louder, so loud he could barely hear the the people with whom he was chatting.

IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop Covers Wide Range of Topics — The second IARU Region 2 (IARU-R2) Emergency Communications Workshop on October 11 focused on international issues facing Amateur Radio in emergencies and disasters. ARRL and IARU Region 2 sponsored the workshop, held in Viña del Mar, Chile, in conjunction with the IARU Region 2 General Assembly.

Radio Amateurs in India Monitoring “Highly Suspicious” VHF Communications — Authorities in India have asked radio amateurs along the Bengal-Bangladesh border to monitor strange VHF radio transmissions that one of them has called “highly suspicious.” According to an article in the Hindustan Times, the signals were being heard in the dead of night, with participants reported to be in motion and speaking in some sort of code.

Amateur Radio

Baofeng DM-5R Problems? — Facebook users are reporting that Radioddity are sending out emails to those who have ordered the Baofeng DM-5R claiming that there is a problem with the radios firmware.

Ham College 21 — In this episode we conclude discussing Noise and Interference, and begin covering Schematics.

Fall-Out — The Fall Out is not contest. There are no prizes and we’re not trying to sell products on the air. Our activities are opportunities for listeners to get on the air, make contacts, create awareness and to have fun. We use the honor system, and post results on the website and on our social media outlets.

“Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” ― John Eldredge, Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul

“The warrior with the shiniest armor has does the least amount of fighting.” — Author Unknown

Amateur Radio

FCC Updates Notice on Amateur Radio Operation in CEPT Countries — The FCC has updated its Public Notice on Amateur Radio operation in European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) countries that have adopted certain recommendations regarding the US. The updated notice, in English, German, and French, includes some additional countries where operation is permitted. Licensees operating in CEPT countries must have a copy of the Public Notice, proof of US citizenship, and evidence of an FCC Amateur Radio license grant. These must be shown to “proper authorities” upon request.

Should U.S. amateur radio license exams be given outside the U.S — I hope you all won’t think I’m being jingoistic here, but I wonder why the FCC allows foreign nationals–at least those who aren’t residing in the U.S. to hold U.S. amateur radio licenses. The reason this has come to my attention is that this morning I received an e-mail from a reader, who pointed to an interesting thread on the HamRadioHelpGroup Yahoo group. He wanted my take on the situation.

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” — Napoleon Hill

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing” — Walt Disney

Amateur Radio

ARRL Thanks House Members for Passage of the Amateur Radio Parity Act — ARRL, the National Association for Amateur Radio, expressed its appreciation to members of the U.S. House of Representatives who were instrumental in the passage of the Amateur Radio Parity Act — H.R. 1301 — unanimously by a voice vote on September 12, 2016. The bill would guarantee Amateur Radio operators who are living in deed-restricted communities, such as a homeowner’s association (HOA), the ability to construct an effective outdoor antenna. It is now awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.

Emergency Preparedness: How Will You Communicate? — Communication is essential, although we often take it for granted. Today we live in a world where information is instantly available. But what if there is an emergency situation and our communication tools are no longer working? How will you contact loved ones or emergency personal? September is recognized as National Preparedness Month. Icom America wants to provide our customers with some communication solutions, which could be helpful during an emergency.

How Far Can I Talk With My Radio? — Recently, a work colleague became interested in ham radio for emergency preparation purposes. Knowing that I am an enthusiastic ham operator, he innocently wandered into my sparsely decorated, dull beige Dilbert cube and asked me with earnest curiosity, “So, how far can you talk with one of those handheld ham radios?”

Michigan State Parks on the Air — Without a doubt, the ARRL’s National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) program has been a huge success. Unfortunately, for those of us who live in Southeast Michigan, we don’t have many national parks close to us. What we do have in Michigan are many wonderful state parks. So, a couple of months ago, I e-mailed our section manager, Larry, WR8B, and suggested that we needed to start a Michigan State Parks on the Air Program. He told me to be patient, that there was already someone working on this.

CERT / Disaster / Medical

Camping Your Way to Preparedness — Camping teaches important survival skills and provides opportunities to sharpen them. Summer has been super crazy and super busy for my family this year. Unfortunately, it means we haven’t been able to go camping or hiking yet. My husband can attest to the fact I get a little high strung if I don’t get a camping fix. Luckily we live right outside a national forest so our first free weekend we’ll be calming my crazy.

Green Beret Warns: “World Governments Are Preparing For Disaster And War” — As written in previous articles, it is my firm conviction that we will be involved in a World War that will be initiated by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) weapon detonated over the continental United States. That being said, this piece summarizes recent events that reinforce such a conclusion, a conviction that is shared by world leaders, senior military personnel, and prominent analysts, as well as being a general consensus of opinion worldwide. As of this writing, the German government has instructed its citizens to prepare for a forthcoming disaster by stockpiling at least 10 days-worth of food and 5 days of water. In Berlin, they are considering bringing back mandatory conscription (a draft) in view of the influx of Muslim aliens entering Europe.